CHENNAI: Following widespread public outcry over the cancellation of 44 train services and persistent delays on the Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu section, Southern Railway on Thursday announced that all 204 suburban train services will resume regular operations on the stretch from Friday.
According to an official order, the 44 services that had been cancelled since February 20 to facilitate maintenance work on platforms 10 and 11 at Egmore station as part of a redevelopment plan will be restored from April 3.
The order, issued by the Chennai division’s operational department, also stated that the schedule followed since February 20 would continue to apply on weekends and festival holidays.
“All the train services, including stoppages and operational patterns, are reverted to the pre-block arrangements in the Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu–Arakkonam section, restoring seamless and efficient connectivity,” said an official note issued by Chennai railway division on Thursday.
Although the maintenance was originally scheduled to run from February 20 to April 5, the railways completed the work well ahead of the planned block period and decided to restore regular services earlier than expected.
During the maintenance at Egmore station, suburban services were shifted from the slow-line platforms 10 and 11 to the fast line platforms 5 and 6.
As a result, trains arriving from Park station that normally used platform 10 were diverted to platform 5. From there, they had to cross six tracks between Chennai Egmore and Chetpet to rejoin the slow line at Chetpet.
Similarly, trains running from Tambaram toward Chennai Beach faced the same operational changes. Express trains were also routed through the fast lines, adding to the disruptions and delays.
During the block period, the total number of services on the section was reduced from 204 to 160. Meanwhile, the MRTS extension from Velachery to St Thomas Mount was inaugurated on March 14.
This extension not only provided a link between the southwestern suburbs and central city areas but also offered an alternative route to Chennai Beach, Central, and Fort stations for passengers affected by the cancellation of 44 local trains.
To manage the extra rush, the railway also hired MTC buses to operate from Tambaram railway station to Chennai Beach for passengers holding season passes and tickets during this period.